The kayak, originally designed by the Inuit of northern Canada as a fast and seaworthy hunting craft for the Arctic waters, has become a popular recreational boat. It currently takes one of two basic forms, either that of the white water kayak designed for running rivers, or the sea kayak. The former is generally shorter and of low volume for maneuverability. The latter is longer and of higher volume to provide greater directional stability and allow for the stowage of cargo. Sea kayaking has become a very popular recreational activity, as it is a pleasant way to enjoy the outdoors, and a convenient way to travel to remote campsites.
In kayaks of both types the paddler is sealed into the boat by a waterproof "skirt" worn around the waist and sealed around the lip of the cockpit in which the paddler sits. The skirt prevents water from entering the kayak even when the kayak is overturned. An overturned kayak may be righted by the paddler without removing the skirt by performing a skill-requiring maneuver called an "Eskimo roll" (or simply "roll"). To do a roll, the paddler applies sufficient torque using correct orientation and movement of the paddle to rotate the boat and his or her body to an upright position. If the paddler is unable to right the boat using the Eskimo roll, but a second boat is near, a rescue can be performed in which the second boat is brought close enough to the capsized boat so that the capsized paddler's waving hand can grasp its bow. The capsized paddler can use the support of the second boat's bow to rotate him- or herself to an upright position without exiting his/her boat. A paddler unable to right the kayak can free him- or herself from the boat (by releasing the skirt from the cockpit rim) and slip out of the cockpit while underwater.
Sea kayaks rarely capsize, and so sea kayakers are generally less experienced in performing an Eskimo roll than are white-water kayakers. However, if a sea kayaker fails to right the boat and it becomes necessary to release the skirt and exit the boat, he/she is confronted by a number of life-threatening dangers. The kayaker may become separated from the boat and/or paddle, possibly far from shore and possibly in rough seas. The temperature of the water will often be low enough to reduce the paddler's strength over a fairly short time, and make re-entry to the boat more difficult. This serious situation can lead to hypothermia and/or drowning, and fear or panic can further complicate the situation. Even if the paddler succeeds in re-entering the boat it will be filled with water, unstable, and liable to re-capsize before it can be emptied. Consequently the preferred response to a capsize is righting the boat without the paddler exiting the boat.
Prior art exists for the prevention of capsize. However, such devices necessarily alter handling and performance characteristics of the kayak and, should they fail to prevent capsize, they may hinder immediate righting of the kayak.
Various prior art aids to the paddler in the event of capsize exist, but these have concentrated on aiding re-entry after exiting the boat rather than righting the boat without exiting it. For example, one device provides a paddle float which is inflated and secured to one blade of the paddle. The other end of the paddle is then fastened to the boat deck behind the cockpit. The paddle then functions as an outrigger to stabilize the kayak as the paddler attempts re-entry. Another emergency aid simply consists of a large, orally inflatable bag upon which the paddler sits or leans to aid re-entry. It takes many minutes to inflate. Both of these devices have the disadvantage of subjecting the paddler to the dangers noted above which are associated with exiting the boat.
There is therefore a need for a method and/or device which, requiring little skill or practice, enables a paddler to right an overturned kayak without exiting the kayak. The righting of a kayak and paddler requires the generation of torque about the long axis of the kayak. The skill requirement in the Eskimo roll lies in minimizing the required torque, and in generating the resulting torque requirement from specific orientation and movement of a paddle blade. The fundamental idea of the present invention is to provide kayakers with a simple and rapid means of creating a buoyant force to one side of the kayak, which can be used to produce a generous amount of torque for righting.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method by which a paddler can accomplish results equivalent to those of the skill requiring maneuver, the Eskimo roll. It is another object of the invention to provide, for such a method, an apparatus which is quickly and easily deployable upon capsize and which provides a buoyant force that a kayaker can use to rotate the kayak and to raise his/her body back to an upright position, in the same way that he/she could use the bow of a rescue boat.